Dates for salmon fishing in California are set for year
Fishery Management Council picks times for West Coast
On Wednesday, the Pacific Fishery Management Council proposed its salmon season for most of the Pacific coast.
In California, the commercial fishery consists of modest Chinook fisheries. Those between Horse Mountain and Pigeon Point( Fort Bragg and San Francisco areas) will be open for a week in late July, most of August and all of September.
FromPigeon Point to the Mexico border (Monterey), the Chinook season will be open during the first week in May and the last two weeks of June. There will also be a season from Point Reyes to Point San Pedro (subset of the San Francisco area) consisting of two five- day periods in October.
Recreational fisheries in the same areaswill be open from mid- June through October. The area from Pigeon Point to the U.S./Mexico border (Monterey area) is open now through early July.
“It has been another challenging year for the council, its advisors, fishery stakeholders and the public as we strive to balance fishing opportunities with the conservation needs we are facing on Chinook and coho salmon stocks, both north and south of Oregon’s Cape Falcon,” said Council Executive Director Chuck Tracy in a statement.
“This year’s package in- cludes some very restrictive seasons in both commercial and recreational fisheries along the entire coast. Low abundances of Chinook and coho are in part due to the poor ocean conditions the adult fish faced as juveniles when they entered the ocean, and poor in-river habitat and water conditions. Tribal, commercial, and recreational fishers continue to bear a large part of the burden of conservation,” said council Chairman Phil Anderson.
The recommendation will be forwarded to theNationalMarine Fisheries Service for approval byMay 1.
For details on all seasons, please see the season descriptions on the council website at http://www. pcouncil.org.